Eel-like amusement device



Oct. 17, 1967 J. NICHOLS BEL-LIKE AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed July 8, 1965 INVENTOR.

Josf/a M690: 5

United States Patent 3,347,545 EEL-LHKE AMUSEMENT DEVICE Joseph Nichols, Princeton, N.J., assignor to Johnson & Johnson, a corporation of New Jersey Filed July 8, 1965, Ser. No, 470,509 15 Claims. (Cl. 272-8) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An amusement device constructed by inverting upon itself a section of flexible tubing to produce an annular, cylindrical container which is filled with a fluid more dense than air and sealed so that when grasped in the hand the fluid falls causing the tubing to invert itself and slip from the grasp.

The present application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 448,690, filed Apr. 16, 1965, now abandoned, and relates to an article of manufacture having utility as a toy or an amusement device.

The article of the present invention is cylindrical in shape and in general resembles a section of garden hose in its external appearance. However, one cannot hold on to this article by simply grasping it with the hand as one might grasp a simple section of tubing. All such attempts are frustrated as the article rapidly slips through the hand to the amusement of all concerned. The natural and almost involuntary reaction of tightening the grasp does not prevent the escape therefrom of the elusive device of the present invention.

For the purpose of convenience in describing the article of the present invention, it will be referred to hereinafter in the specification of this application as an eel.

The construction and operation of the eel will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings showing, by way of example, a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea. Referring now to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation of an eel partly broken away and in section, showing a sealing means and reference line A on the outside surface of the eel.

FIG. 2 is a plan section on an enlarged scale taken on lines 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 1 but shows the eel in a slipped (lower) position with respect to the hold point.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the top end of FIG. 3 showing typical enveloping action.

FIG. 5 illustrates on a reduced scale the eel in use:

Position 1 shows an initial position;

Position 2 shows the top end of the eel slipping through the left hand to Position 3 where right hand takes over;

Position 4 shows the next position of left hand; and

FIG. 6 illustrates a modified continuous seal that unites the two ends of a section of thermoplastic tubing.

The eel may be manufactured by inverting a flexible section of tubing upon itself so that approximately onehalf of the tube is positioned concentrically Within the other half of the tube to form a cylindrical annular container as illustrated in FIG. 1 having an outside surface 10 and an inside surface 12. This container may be filled with a free-flowing solid or liquid 13, and then closed to retain the contents by uniting the ends of the tube with an adhesive to form a continuous annular seal 11. The tubing of which the eel is constructed may be any natural or synthetic material that is used in the manufacture of fleXible tubing such as rubber, rubber hydrochloride, cellulose acetate, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidine chloride, polyvinyl acetate, polypropylene, etc., plasticized as is well 3,347,545 Patented Oct. 17, 1967 known in this art to obtain the desired flexibility. Particularly preferred is tubing that is impermeable to water and water vapor, i.e., polyvinyl chloride and rubber tubing. It is desirable that the surface of the tubing have a low coeflicient of friction as this will increase the rate at which the eel will slip out of the hand when grasped.

If the tubing is formed of a thermoplastic material, the ends of the tube may be heat-sealed to form a closure 11' as best shown in FIG. 6. Laminated tubing, i.e., a polyamide resin made by the polymerization of the hexamethylene diamine salt of adipic acid (nylon) coated with polyethylene may be heat-sealed in constructing the article of the present invention. Another suitable structure is a fabric tube woven or knitted of a textile material such as cotton or Dacron and coated on one or both sides with rubber latex.

Still another satisfactory type of tubing for use in the present invention is the regenerated cellulose tubing that has found wide use in the meat-packing industry as a sausage casing (sometimes referred to as viscose casing).

The tubing may be transparent, opaque or colored. The

7 wall thickness of the tubing is not critical and may be 1.5

mils or more depending upon the material of which the tubing is constructed.

The material 13 between the outer wall 10 and the inner wall 12 of the eel is preferably a liquid such as Water; i.e., oil, oil and water emulsions, glycerine, mineral oil, molasses, solutions of sugar, alginates, pectins, carboxymethyl cellulose, and other water-soluble natural or synthetic polymers that would increase the viscosity of the fluid. The liquid 13 may be clear, semi-opaque, or opaque, and may be colored or colorless. It may be phosphorescent or have other unusual properties. Water is the fluid of choice because it is low in cost, non-toxic and non-flammable. If the eel is constructed of water permeable tubing the fluid 13 may be an aqueous solution of a soluble salt as this permits the replacement by the process of osmosis of any water or water vapor that may be lost through the wall 10 of the tube.

If the eel is constructed of transparent tubing one may add to the liquid colored beads or other objects before the ends of the plastic tube are sealed together. It is desirable that the colored beads have a density approximating that of the liquid.

- The exterior or interior surfaces of the plastic tube may be marked or printed to provide a design on the surface of the plastic.

The manufacture of the article of the present invention will be illustrated by the following examples, in which all quantities are expressed in parts by weight unless otherwise indicated.

Example I A cylindrical annular container is formed from a section of viscose cellulose tubing approximately 30 inches long and 1% inches in diameter, by inverting the tubing upon itself as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The container so obtained is filled with a fluid having the following.

composition:

Parts Water Sodium chloride 10 A cylindrical annular container is formed from a section of polyethylene tubing plasticized with polyvinyl chloride as described in Example I above. The container so ob- J tained is filled to within about 2 inches of the top with a fluid having the following composition:

Parts Water 97.5 Carboxymethyi cellulose sodium salt (low viscosity) -5 Non-toxic water-soluble green dye 2 The filled section of the tubing is isolated by a screw clamp and the free ends of the tube are then heat-sealed together as shown in FIG. 6. That portion of the tube between the clamp and the sealed end is then filled using a hypodermic syringe containing the water solution described in this example. If the tubing composition is such that air trapped within the sealed tube cannot escape around the outer wall of the needle of the syringe a small pinhole may be made in the tube near the seal to permit all airto escape. During the last stage of the filling process the clamp may be removed to permit completely filling the tube with liquid. Finally the syringe is removed and the hole made by theneedle of the syringe and the pinhole if present for the escape of air are sealed with rubber cement.

Example III Example IV A cylindrical container is formed as described in Example I above and filled with powdered graphite. The open ends of the container are then sealed together with an epoxide adhesive.

Example V A cylindrical annular container isformed and filled with a colored solution as described in Example'II above. Prior to isolating the filled section of the tubing with a clamp, a number of colored beads are added to the colored solution in the annular container. The annular container is then sealed as described in Example II.

Example VI A knit cotton tube approximately 30 inches long and 1% inches in diameter is coated with red rubber latex on both sides by the method conventionally used in the manufacture of cloth-rubber laminationsl The laminated rubber tube is inverted upon itself as indicated. in FIGS. 1 and 2. The container so obtained is filled with water and the free ends of the tube are stretched and slipped .over a mandrel, the diameter of which is slightly greater than the diameter of the tubing. The free ends of the tube are sealed together with rubber cement to form an annular seal, and the mandrel removed from the tube.

The operation of the eel will be understood with reference to FIGSJl and 3. In FIG. 1 a reference mark A has been inscribed onthe outer surface of the eel below the seal, 11. The eel is held vertically at the position indicated in FIG. 1 by a constrictive force in the direction of the arrows. This constrictive force against the outside wall of.

the eel at the hold point supports the eel in space but the weight of the fluid below the holding point will pull the seal 11 and outer wall 10 within the tube in an enveloping action. The relative movement of the outer wall of the tube at the upper end of the eel with respect to the holding point is indicated by the curved arrows in FIG. 3. It will be noted from FIG. 3 that the reference mark A which was on the outerwall of the tube as viewed in FIG. 1 has been pulled within the tube. When this enveloping action proceeds to the hold point, the outside wall of the eel is removed from the area of constrictive force at which time 4 the only force acting on'the eel is the force of gravity. The manual manipulation of the eel will be best understood with reference to FIG. 5 which shows the position of the hands. At the outset the eel is supported in a vertical position by grasping it with the left hand at position 2 a few inches below the top of the eel. The initial position of the top of the eel is indicated in FIG. 5 as position 1. As the eel moves downward through the left hand in the direction of the arrows, it is grasped with the right hand at position 3. The force of gravity will cause the eel to continue its downward motion'and as the top of the eel passes below position .3, it is again grasped by the left hand at position 4. The alternate grasping of the eel, first with one hand and then with the other, may be continued with no interruption of the downward movement of the eel. If the hand grasping the eel is moved in an upward direction at the rate at which the eel moves downward, there will be little change in the relative position of the eel with respect to the body of the operator.

It is important that the diameter of the eel be such that it can be grasped and substantially surrounded by the fingers of one hand, thereby providing temporary support therefor. An eel having an external diameter. up to about 3 inches may be manipulated without undue difiicultyrThe length of the eel should be a least twice the width of the human hand; preferably the length of the eel is six or more times its diameter.

Inasmuch as the eel will move down an inclined plane by the enveloping action described above, it may be used as a worm or snakelike moving toy. Obviously two or more eels can be raced in competitive games. In one such game two or more eels may be supported on tensioned parallel wires or strings that pass longitudinally through the center of the eel contacting the inside .wall 12 throughout its length. Elevating one end of the supporting wire will cause the eel to travel along the wire toward the lower end thereof. If desired, several eels can be mountedon a single wire in this fashion and the ends of the wire joined to form a circle. Moving the circular wire from the horizontal plane will cause movement of the eels mounted thereon, one eel appearing to chase the other.

Many amusing uses for the article of the present inven-' comprising a section of tubing inverted upon itself and folded to produce an annular cylindrical container having a bottom section formed at the told, an outer wall formed by the length of the tubing that extends from the fold to one end of the tubing and an inner wall formed by the length of the tubing that extends from the fold to the other end of the tubing; said containerbeing filled with, a free-flowing substance more dense than air and the ends of the tubing being joined together by an annular seal.

2. An article of manufacture which can be grasped. and temporarily supported by the fingers of one hand. comprising a section of tubing inverted upon itself and,

folded near the middle to produce an annular cylindrical container having a bottom section formed at the fold, an outer wall formed by a length of the tubing that extends from the middle thereof to one end of the tubing and an inner wall'formed by a length of the tubing that extends from the middle thereof to the other end of the tubing; said container being filled with a liquid and the ends of the tubing being joined together along their circumference.

3. An article of manufacture which can be grasped and temporarily supported by thefingers of one hand comprising a section of water permeable tubing inverted an outer wall formed by a length of the tubing that ex-' tends from the fold to one end of the tubing and an inner wall formed by a length of the tubing that extends from the fold to the other end of the tubing; said container being partially filled with a Water-soluble salt and the ends of the tubing being joined together by an annular seal.

4. The article of claim 1 wherein the free-flowing substance is water.

5. The article of claim 4 wherein the water is colored.

6. The article of claim 1 wherein the annular seal is a heat seal.

7. The article of claim 1 wherein the tubing is an extruded thermoplastic material.

8. The article of claim 1 characterized by a design printed on the surface of the tubing.

9. The article of claim 2 characterized by the presence of colored beads within the cylindrical container.

10. The article of claim 9 wherein the specific gravity of the heads is similar to the specific gravity of the liquid.

11. The article of claim 2 wherein the liquid is an aqueous solution.

12. The article of claim 2 wherein the liquid is an oil in water emulsion.

13. The article of claim 2 wherein the liquid is an aqueous solution of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose.

14. The article of claim 2 wherein the tubing is an extruded cellulose casing.

15. The article of claim 2 wherein the tubing is impermeable to water.

References Qited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,186,404 6/ 1965 Gardner. 3,193,286 7/1965 Sitter 2721 3,242,524 3/ 1966 Witzleben 17-43 ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE WHICH CAN BE GRASPED AND TEMPORARILY SUPPORTED BY THE FINGERS OF ONE HAND COMPRISING A SECTION OF TUBING INVERTED UPON ITSELF AND FOLDED TO PRODUCE AN ANNULAR CYLINDRICAL CONTAINER HAVING A BOTTOM SECTION FORMED AT THE FOLD, AN OUTER WALL FORMED BY THE LENGTH OF THE TUBING THAT EXTENDS FROM THE FOLD TO ONE END OF THE TUBING AND AN INNER WALL FORMED BY THE LENGTH OF THE TUBING THAT EXTENDS FROM THE FOLD TO THE OTHER END OF THE TUBING; SAID CONTAINER BEING FILLED WITH A FREE-FLOWING SUBSTANCE MORE DENSE THAN AIR AND THE ENDS OF THE TUBING BEING JOINED TOGETHER BY AN ANNULAR SEAL. 